Silvia C.

Parker
June 29, 2018
Version 1

3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources: Candidates collaborate with teachers
and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and
compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)

Artifact: Evaluating Emerging Technologies

The artifact that I chose to demonstrate mastery of Standard 3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital
Tools and Resources is the Evaluating Emerging Technologies presentation written for ITEC
7445 Multimedia and Web Design in Education. The purpose of the assignment was to analyze a
technology resource that would be beneficial for student learning. The technology I chose to
evaluate was SeeSaw because it is user friendly and it is also facilitates differentiation of
instruction.
The Evaluating Emerging Technologies presentation demonstrates mastery of Standard 3.6. The
experience allowed me to collaborate with others in order to select and evaluate a tool that
would be beneficial for student learning. When it comes to digital tools, I tend to select those
that are beneficial for learning, but that are also easy to access and operate. That is, the reason
why I wanted to share SeeSaw with my administrators and fellow teachers is the fact that it can
be accessed from any device. This is important to me since many of the students at my school
only have a smartphone or a tablet at home. This lack of appropriate devices can limit the digital
tools and resources they can use. Another important feature of SeeSaw is the fact that it allows
students to show what they know in several ways. That is, students are allowed to write, speak,
or draw their answers. This aspect was important to me since about half of the students at my
school are ELLs. That is, students have the opportunity to show what they know in several ways.
Moreover, SeeSaw allows for students to collaborate with each other which is an important skill.
Lastly, SeeSaw is free. I thought that was an important feature since many teachers tend to avoid
using digital tools because of lack of funds.
By completing this assignment, I learned about the importance of selecting effective digital tools.
I also learned the fact that the effectiveness of a tool goes beyond the learning benefits it may
provide. That is, if the tool is expensive or difficult to use, then teachers and students will not be
interested in using it. I also learned about the importance of trying and interacting with digital
tools before proposing them to teachers and administrators. If a technology coach does not have
certain level of competence at using a digital tool, then training other teachers on how to use it
would be ineffective.
The impact of this assignment can be assessed through teacher buy-in. That is, if a digital tool is
adopted by several teachers, then other teachers would more likely to try it as well. Also,
exploring new technologies allows teachers and administrators to stay current in regards to
technology innovations. That is, it is important that teachers have time to explore with
technology and that they share their knowledge with others in order to improve the teaching and
learning process.